The Young Apprentice; or, The Watch-Words of Old London — page 216: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~~ yy - Like Max Bowden, when under the influence of the villain who was hounding him on to the commission of a terrible crime, he felt like one in a dream, and drawing the knife from pocket, hia he raised it over the head of his victim, One moment he hesitated. “ Strike !” cried Raymond. Leicester waited not to ask atrike himself, The knife descended Stab—stab—stab | There was one gurgling cry—one smothered appeal to Heaven—and then all was still, The murder was complete, “ Is he dead ?” asked Lord Raymond, “Aye, dead!” returned Leicester, with a shudder ; ‘dead and stiff |° “ Then let us bear him at once out of the road why he did not Quickly and strongly, into the cavern. The sound of horses! feet approaches nearer, Each moment is precious, Ceme,” “Take his head, then, and J will raise his feet,” said Leicester, In this way they bore him ewiftly towards the entrance of the cave, Through the tangled brushwood they dragged the te form of the one who lately had been so full of life and spirits, and in a few moments they were standing within, with the light of the dull-burning flambeau falling on the face of the dead. Lord Raymond had not had courage enough to do the murder, S He had plenty of courage to do the robber’s Eagerly and quickly he searched the pockets of the unfortunsve victim. “ Here is an abundance of gold,” he said ; “it will not do for us to go about with so much, or we may excite repicion, as of late we had s0 little. We will this treasure in yonder recess in the rock, and then plunge the body into the sea,” Taking from the body everything of value which it contained, the robbers concealed the stolen treasure in a hole in the wall, and then dragged the body towards the entrance of the Cave. Dark and gloomy and mysterious looked the ocean beneath them They could hear its roar, and see, here and there, a white-crested billow rearing its head in savage pride as it were—but that was all. “Now, then, everything favours us,” said Lord Raymond; “let us not delay, one fling and he is buried for ever from the sight of man,” Leicester was eager enough to escape from the sight of the man with whose blood his hands were red. Readily and willingly, therefore, he raised the corpse once more, and swaying it to and fro fora moment, the two assassins flung it fiercely forward, They could hear it bump and crash against THE WATCHWORDS OF OLD LONDON. 197 the rocks, and then Splash into the d aters of the mighty ocean, mp * He is gone,” cried Raymond; “we are now discovery,” safe from At this moment a lond rt without the cavern, report was heard “Ah!” cried Raymond, “there is the signal upon which I agreed with Harry Martin. We must go, You can go on to the Town Inn, and see that something is got ready for our supper ; or, if you do not like goin alon remain with us," oe “T do not wish to be recognized,” said Leicester _ “Good; then you can proceed on to the town,” said Raymond, “and I will be with you, They at once hurried out of the cavern. There, in the centre of the road, they could a discover a number of dark figures on horse- " Who & Frien there ?” cried Raymond, from London,” “Good! Are you there, Martin 1” “ Yea, and all with me are good compan ons,” * Go on, Leicester,” said Lord Raymond, who was now evidently in a state of great excite- ment, “ go on to the town, and I will follow you in a few moments.” Leicester sprang upon the horse of the mur- dered man, and hurried away at headlong speed, Raymond waited until he was beyend eare shot, and then spoke, “Well, Harry,” he said. “ have you suec- rm cry, d, y _ - Yes, my lord,” he answered; Lady Blanche is now at Duneaton,”’ ‘‘ In safe custody ?” _ “Yes, my lerd.” “‘ How took she it? Was there any difficulty in the matter ?” “ Difficulty, my lord! I thought the grief would have killed her. She wailed and be- moaned her fate sadly, my lord, and when I showed her signed for her, lost her senses. " Her eyes glared wildly, her bosom heaved, and she threw herself on her knees before me. “ * Oh, ’ she cried; ‘if you have in you a spark of manly feeling, save me !’ “*T cannot,’ I answered. “¢ Yes, you can,’ she replied. ‘You have but to let me eacape, have but to allow me to make my way whither I like~anywhere—anywhere out of this place, which seems to me to be a nest of enemies. Let me go, let me go !’ “*I cannot. Time preases, madam, and you must come.’ “ I tried io speak as brutally as I conld, but my Voice was not such, apparently, as to infuse any very great degree of terror into her mind. In fact I pitied her.” Lord Raymond laughed coarsely. ‘‘ Her beauty, I suppose, overcame you.” “No; her innocence and purity was what the letter which was written and I'thought she would have really INR: | C4 A eS a: i} ~ . od NS, <— Lp z ’ CO